Screening Room 1972-1981

screening-room

Seen above, Jean Rouch appeared on Screening Room in July 1980 and screened Les Maitres Fous as well as several film excerpts including Rhythm of Work and Death of a Priest. Over a period of five decades Jean Rouch made many films about the Songhay and Dogon of West Africa.

Screening Room was a 1970s Boston television series that for almost ten years offered independent filmmakers a chance to show and discuss their work on a commercial (ABC-TV) affiliate station. This unique program dealt even-handedly with animation, documentary, and experimental film, welcoming such artists as Derek Lamb (1973 & 1975), Jan Lenica (1973), John & Faith Hubley (1975), Emile de Antonio (1973), Jean Rouch (1980), Ricky Leacock (1973), Jonas Mekas (1975), Bruce Baillie (1975), Yvonne Rainer (1977) and Michael Snow (1975). Frequently, guests such as Octavio Paz, Stanley Cavell, and Rudolph Arnheim appeared as well. The filmmakers presented on the show are now considered the most influential contributors to their respective genres. Nearly 100 programs were produced during the years Screening Room was broadcast.

Recently, The Museum of TV and Radio in New York City offered to copy the two-inch master tapes that had been given to the Film Study Center. Thirty programs have been edited for release as DVDs. In 2008 Gardner received an Anthology Film Archives Film Preservation Honor for this series.

Les Blank (1975) Stan Brakhage (1973 & 1980) Robert Breer (1976) James Broughton (1977) Ed Emshwiller (1975) Hollis Frampton (1977) Robert Fulton (1973 & 1979) George Griffin (1976) Hillary Harris (1973 & 1979) Peter Hutton (1977) Standish Lawder & Stanley Cavell (1973) Caroline Leaf & Mary Beams (1975) Alan Lomax (1975) Suzan Pitt (1975) Richard P. Rogers (1975) John Whitney Sr. (1972).

distributed by Documentary Educational Resources.